As I imagine myself standing here on the DY graduation stage, I see someone who is looking forward to every bit of what the future holds for her. I see someone who is open to change, an endless amount of possibilities and a destiny that is not written for her but by her. You might be wondering how I got to this point… so let me rewind to exactly a year ago.

The moment I walked across the stage at my high school graduation and it was announced that my plans for next year would be to take some time off, I knew the questions would be rolling in. At the end of the day, I was approached by all my

As I imagine myself standing here on the DY graduation stage, I see someone who is looking forward to every bit of what the future holds for her. I see someone who is open to change, an endless amount of possibilities and a destiny that is not written for her but by her. You might be wondering how I got to this point… so let me rewind to exactly a year ago.

The moment I walked across the stage at my high school graduation and it was announced that my plans for next year would be to take some time off, I knew the questions would be rolling in. At the end of the day, I was approached by all my senior year teachers, all wondering why I wasn’t going to university as they expected. It was hard for me to put into words how stressed I felt about choosing the wrong subject to study in post-secondary. It seemed everyone else knew with confidence what I should do and who I should be… except for myself.

As I entered Discover Year, it was refreshing to hear how normal it was to simply not know. Jay was able to make sense of my anxiety and offer reassurance that I was indeed on the right path — one that will change directions as often as I allow it to. As someone who is interested in a plethora of subjects and who strives to experience as many things in life as I can, choosing a singular path was not meant for me. The most impactful thing I have learned through Discover Year was not only to be okay with the fact that I will change paths over the course of my life, but that I should be confident in this part of myself.

Embracing change and growth has led me to leave my doors wide open for opportunities and chances, in turn allowing myself to learn more and more every day. I could see how I began to chase after different experiences to find out what I liked and didn’t like. This impacted my work decisions, as I took on three completely different jobs at the same time: in retail, in the food industry and in modelling. I saw this openness during my travel period in Hawaii, as my friend Maddi and I decided to cancel our hostels, live in a metal shipping container, and push our flights back for weeks. Finally, I have applied to a joints honours program next year, but I can now say that I feel completely comfortable in changing my educational path as many times as I feel I need to.

All in all, I can say that I’m genuinely excited about not knowing exactly where I will be far down the line. To quote Ralph Emerson, it’s definitely “not about the destination; it’s about the journey” and I will definitely be a lifelong learner.